Bio:

The Great designer, Austin Sakong has worked extensively on educational projects for K-12, higher education, and international institutions. His practice is informed by his belief that architecture and urban design are humanist pursuits, and that the quality of our built environment hinges on its ability to articulate meaning, stories, and life. Austin is a Senior Associate at FXCollaborative, a registered architect in New York, and an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University and New York University.

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How did you first learn about architecture and when did you decide that built environment profession was an area of interest for you?

In high school, someone loaned me OMA’s SMLXL and John Hejduk’s Soundings. I didn’t understand either

at all at the time, but I sensed that architecture could be a way towards something bigger, more profound, than anything I’d encountered before.

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What do you do?

I design schools for universities and K-12 institutions; I teach architecture and urban design at Columbia and NYU; and I serve as a Commissioner for the Jersey City Historic Preservation Commission.

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What excites you in the work you do?

The best part of my job is the constant learning and exploration it requires. Through architecture, I get to engage in history, poetry, science, politics, social justice, philosophy, art, and a hundred other things. 

 

Who or what inspires you professionally?

I’ve been lucky in finding a number of compassionate mentors throughout my career. Their generosity, wisdom, and passion continue to inspire me—not just to make better work, but to share that inspiration with as many others as I can.

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What is your proudest professional accomplishment or achievement?

More than any one project, I’m proud of how broadly I’ve come to practice—which includes designing and building, yes, but also teaching, researching, volunteering, and community engagement. Each one of those efforts makes me better at doing the rest.

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Featured Project Name: 

Pace University Student Landscape

 

Featured Project Location: 

New York, NY

 

Featured Project Completion Date: 

January 28, 2019

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Role in Featured Project: 

Project Designer

 

Featured Project Description:

Pace University’s Student Landscape weaves open, flexible spaces through its two flagship buildings, and reinforces its campus community through a diverse ecology of student-centric programs—from a student “living room” to tech hubs to quiet study niches. New entrances and façade interventions create new ways for Pace to connect to the city; for interior spaces to connect to air, light, and views; and for students to connect to each other and the broader University community.

 

Photography Credit:

Copyright Chris Cooper

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